He was a Hungarian, a Catholic, he declared as a Yugoslav and he loved Serbia more than all of us: Shocking confession of a friend of the pilot who died (PHOTO)

The tragedy that occurred on April 11th near Kovacica, when an aircraft "super galeb G-4" crashed, where Major Robert Kaloci (48) died, has deeply shaken not only Serbia but entire Yugoslavia. 

An airplane of Serbian Military crashed near Kovacica: The pilot has died! (PHOTO)

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The professor from the Military Academy in Belgrade, and Robert's friend from school, Vladimir Nikolic (48), speaks how much the news shook everybody.

Foto: Facebook

Schooling together

- Robert and I were school friends. We went to Mostar in 1985, we got into Airforce General department of the high school "Marsal Tito". We graduated in '89 and we went together to the Air Force Academy in Zadar - Vladimir Nikolic said to Telegraf.

The class of IV/e that Robert and Vladimir attended was the best in entire Yugoslavia.

- The fact that the entire class will come from Mostar to his funeral in Sombor is the proof that everybody was struck with Robert's death - Vladimir said.

Foto: Facebook

The beginning of the war 

The war started when Vladimir and Robert were in Zadar, and that is the time when their roads somehow parted, but they kept in touch.

- I went to civilian aviation, and Robert became a military pilot of the hunter plane. He was a Hungarian, Catholic, he declared as a Yugoslav, and he was so loyal to our country that he lived and worked in Serbia for the rest of his life. He loved our country so much that I can freely say that he was a greater Serb than any of us.

- I can only say the best about him. He was an excellent pilot and no one can say that he died because of his fault, he acted according to the protocol, the best he could. And anybody who understands aviation, the data that they ejected from the 500-700m altitude says that he tried to "pull up the plane to the last moment, risking his life - Vladimir said, shaken because of the death of his friend.

They tried to "pull up" the plane

Pilot Robert Kaloci and the copilot Aleksandar Matic managed to eject from the plane, but unfortunately, Major Kaloci died, while Major Matic is recovering from serious injuries.

Foto: Marko Jovanovic

Major Robert Kaloci had rich working experience. He was working at the airfield in Podgorica, then in Kovin, Batajnica, Military Academy in Belgrade as a lecturer, and he was working as a test pilot.

- He has enormous experience and I am sure that he hasn't died because of his own fault, no one should say that, and the commission is here to confirm what happened - Nikolic said.

All the loves of the dead pilot

- He loved airplanes, but his favorite hobbies were fishing and cooking of the stew - Vladimir said.

Robert left his wife Snezana and son Marko.

Watch the video:

(Telegraf.co.uk / J.J.K / j.kulas@telegraf.rs)